Griffin Rites Vol. 48, Issue 1

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ese pro ige l r l , p l e , t a d n y i e o , t l r a , o v t i nest, mot gent, loyal, educa istic, charistmatic le, communicative tim ilie r, visib SPORTS amic n y d , warm, d ve, persistent, op family,, listeneARTS , e l b gea d , a e l l r a b w e o , r n r , k e m erfu l , w d a o c e p moth z , i , c i n t t n a s g e usia| Kansas city MO, 64119 , o1r| Sept. 29, 2017 ious, confid h e t l b n e a r w Winnetonka High School | Vol. 49, Issue t o , a n d r o t i e h b d , i m s d a r n ounde o , a ous y, c forw e n t g n h a u g r f i u , a t o r t c n s e ble, , ph end a p d i l e e e d n i r , tough, n i m , r , e t e s h t de brig , purpo l , a , y y p e t o p l a a iv , r n h e o d , i r g , e l n c i u g n f i pass t a s c r spe cou ful, e e e r p , r o , h e d e m , l r a u a e f g p r e e e c r t r p n u e o , t s , uine, dr n . e r e E R.U. nfid . o rthy, T c o , w , s t e u s v o u o r l r t is e v n , d,, e t g e s v , l e s o n v u suring, o o n h i ld, ntur r, o e e b v n , d r y a a p e p , l e a , v h le i t , a n t d e u , v o d n r i e p czoming n , i , ned able term t r e p a d a e d , c a E n . o , U c . s ui R , . , g T d n i n , d e e i l n leader r b a f t a , s der aoch ative n r e u p r p , c a d , t , e t n g n e a ist e g r i s l l a e e h r t c p n , i , enag , , c d i r t e imis ivat cato t t u p o d o m e , , t , , l t n s a e y e t r, lo is e s , t r n n e e p t e s g , ng, hon i l e e i l v , i l ,d bra rea m , r , r a e m l h w a t , l o c u , m f c , ble r ti s e a r h a i t o s a n u e, faith f o h , h t g , n ard , we carin w d r , e o d f d t n n i h u k g o i r , our a g r c t , , s d e , l n h b e friend i g a r i u l f o , re g, t e nal, n s o o i o r s p t s r s e u , f t p o c , r de e re n t i i a , d t n , h o e i king, p g v s i i r s t b a a omp ing, unic c g m , a s r m s u o e o c l c r , e e a l e cere t, f n c i , e s c r i , i l , visib d m u f , a e e n uin hop , dy n , l e e l u g b f , a e e c e v i r g t u i d o nt, s tu e e n i d r i , , l f y u knowle n h f o t r c r e o pow stw eal, , r u t r , n t d , e e g d i v n l f i o r n v us, u n s o i r s u a , t , r n ous, co e e e v n i v r s d i dec , lea e, a , g v i e n t t i n a m e r o v e c n l i d i e d, h , u w e o l , r l b cons p a a , n t d p e e a m n eno ear , ad h s c p r n , e o d d c e b , a n g a e i l h n i c , d o d n a e a r t t p a determ s p der edic t, a n d n u e , , s n d e e e r v p g i r a , duca e , l ectful, d ic, learner, enag friend, motivated a y o l , leading ntfaces e t g , e t e g i s r l Meet the new i v e e d t n a r n o , b h m , , r g e a t n i w ent, e a g n sio ura ful, sWinnetonka o h t a c i p n a , e f r , e , e h e l t t b o ri a m a n o c , i r , s e s d h a e est, visi t p d Pages 8 & 9 a roun ted, ec, f g n v i , e t l s a u a t n c i o g , f , a d , e l m t i a a , n c d o o i n v s i s d termine k e a , tive prof ect, a , r i e e t r d c a , r , n g e o i n n s i ox e s c t a s , i p s l s , , e , e l l nt, car r c i b i a t , vis tma it fe s e r i i v r i p t a s r h , o c e p l p , b t u nt a s i e , , g r l o d u t f e l a r w ersisten c e o u w , kn , po d s, ed t e u n z c e i o d n f i f a , l g n r o a ,c , o urin alm, re educator ambitious sive, ass

The Griffin Rites

Theatre department selected as one of the top 12 in the nation

200 free-relay obtains state consideration cut as swim team grows

Pages 12 & 13

Pages 14 & 15

Self-described


CONTENTS

On the cover: Assistant principals David Garrison, Dixie Wescott, Shannon Lawson, Drew White and principal Eric Johnson stand surrounded by words that students and staff used to describe them in gray and the words they used to describe themselves in white. Photo by KatieBullock

Snapshot: The volleyball team cheers after after winning 2-0 against the Liberty North Eagles on Aug. 23. “I feel like we’re all pretty happy and proud of ourelves after a win, but we all know that at the same time we have to be ready for practice the next day. Ready to work and get better,” junior Ashlyn Bunch said. As of Sept. 25 the team is currently 8-8-2 this season. They will face Raytown South at home on Sept. 3 at 7:00 p.m. Photo by KatieBullock

14

5

Features

Editorial 03 - Image vs. Impact Moving the child care center fails to account for the student-parents it serves

News 04 - News briefs 05 - Homecoming at home A runthrough of the formal assembly, parade and football game

Entertainment 06 - Griffin Grounds glow-up A complete review the new menu at Griffin Grounds

08 - Self-described 14 - In the water, your only eneMeet the new faces leading Winnetonka my is the clock Boys 200-free relay obtains state 10 - A family more than blood consideration cut as swim team Staff and students share their experienc- grows es about the lasting effects of adoption and foster care 16 - From sidelines to starters Soccer players find their place as kickers on the football team

Arts

The Griffin Rites Purpose

12 - Stepping into the national spotlight American Performing Arts International recognizes theater department as one of top 12 in the nation

STAFF Editor-in-chief Print Editor Sports Editor Multimedia Editor Photo Editor

Sports

Staff Writer Katie Bullock Jessica Glaszczak Staff Writer Hani Yousif Elizabeth Hopkins Andrea Simmons Adviser

Holly Hopkins Gage Rabideaux Laura Williams

The Griffin Rites strongly supports the first ammendment and opposes censorship. Freedom of expression and press are fundamental values in a democratic society. The mission of any institution commited to preparing productive citizens must include teaching students these values, both by example and lesson. We welcome letters to the editor and reserve the right to edit them for length and clarity, but we will not change ideas. Letters may attack policies but not people. They must be signed an submitted to F6 or mailed to Laura Williams at 5818 NE 48th St., Kansas City, Mo. Advertising space is available. Please contact laura.williams@nkcschools.org or call 816321-6527 for information. Our organazation is a member of the Journalism Educators of Metropolatin Kansas City, Journalism Educators Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.


EDITORIAL | PAGE DESIGN BY KATIE BULLOCK Read the news story at tonkanews. com by scanning the code below.

03

Image over impact Moving the child care center fails to account for the student-parents it serves

Staff votes: 7 agree 0 disagree

| Art by GageRabideaux

B

The Editorial voice of the Griffin Rites staff,

y removing the school-age child care center from Winnetonka in an effort to preserve a good community image, the district has also removed many of the center’s most positively impactful features for student-parents and their children. When the child care center was located at Winnetonka, student-parents had more opportunities throughout the school day to interact with their children. Student-parents could play with their kids or read to them during Advisory or Tonka Time. During lunch, student-parents could also eat with their kids. This parental contact is indispensably valuable to young children. One study by John Ermisch and Marco Francesconi of the Institute for Social and Economic Research showed the negative impacts of young children spending little time with their parents. In the study, it was found that children - especially preschool aged children - who spent less time with their mothers had less educational achievement and a higher risk for unemployment and psychological distress later in life. Additionally, the move makes it harder for new student-parents to adjust to a school-centered day. When the child care center was at Winnetonka, student-parents were able to drop by the nursery and check up

on their kids at any time. Without the ability to do that, many new parents are likely to struggle with the process of going back to school since they will suddenly be spending much less time with their children. The child care center was moved to Doolin this August after parents of Winnetonka students came forward last spring with concearns that the center was impacting Winnetonka’s image in a negative way. Although the district should be commended for taking such quick action to address those parent concerns, they addressed the issue in a way that neglects to advocate for the students they serve. Now, in order to give student-parents more time with their children at Doolin, the district should create a class focused on teaching parenting skills scheduled either first block or last block so that parents can spend mornings or evening with their children before arriving to or after leaving school. As a school district, the goal should be to educate. As such, they should have addressed the image issue by educating the community about the positive impact of the child care center instead of just sweeping the center under a rug and hoping that the community thinks of it as ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind,’ now that it is removed from Winnetonka.


04 PAGE DESIGN BY ANDREA SIMMONS | NEWS

Walking a musical path Right: Junior Mattie Peter performs with the Kansas City Youth Symphony for the first time on Aug. 23 at Kaufman Stadium at the Royals vs. Rockies game. Peter first auditioned for a spot in the group in early May, before earning the position of fifth chair, first violin. Junior Bella Middaugh also auditioned and earned first chair in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (MYO) in the middle of her 2017 summer. “I was actually kind of scared. This is my first year trying for MYO. I was actually crying when I found out,” Middaugh said. Photo by KatieBullock

Gym renewal

Dan Stanley night Above: Former head football coach Dan Stanley was recognized on Aug. 18 at the Winnetonka vs. Park Hill South football game held at the North Kansas City District Stadium. Stanley coached football in Missouri for 57 years, spending 26 of those at Winnetonka. “[I always say] coach your kids to love and respect each other and their school,” Stanley said. “By doing all of that, they’ll be a good team because they’ll be good people.” Photo by KatieBullock

Right: ACME flooring sands the new wood floors in the main gym on Aug. 11. When pipes burst in the E hallway during a December 2016 rainstorm, water settled under and warped the wood flooring. When work began in July of 2017 to correct the issue, it was discovered that the concrete underneath the floor was uneven and needed to be completely redone. This caused the project to run longer than planned and the gym to be unusable for sports and assemblies at the beginning of the school year. “It has been a long, long project,” assistant principal David Garrison said. “But when it’s done, it will look very nice. We have an updated paint design which incorporates our logos and our school colors into the design.” Photo by HollyHopkins

In the news... Being yourself

Experiencing the eclipse Top Left: For the first time in 99 years, Kansas City residents had the opportunity to view a total solar eclipse on Aug. 21 and so did the students and staff at Winnetonka, who were in the path of totality for about 1 minute and 38 seconds. Students wore special glasses provided by the District (top right) and the event brought some students like junior Savannah Brown to tears (below right). After the eclipse, Key Club collected used glasses and donated them to the Astronomers Without Borders. The glasses will go to citizens around Asia, who will be able to view another total solar eclipse in 2019. “An eclipse is a once in a lifetime experience that everyone should have the opportunity to view,” Senior Hannah Hernandez said. See more at tonkanews.com by using the QR code above. Photos by KatieBullock

Below left: Math teacher Luke Young spent June volunteering at Camp Moja, a summer camp sponsored by Christian Community Church for nearly 90 disabled adults. Young has been volunteering at camp Moja for nearly 20 years. He started as a lifeguard and slowly worked his way to a mentor for the campers. Young and his aunt Julie, who had down syndrom, had a close relationship. Sadly she passed away three years ago. But Young continues to volunteer at camp Moja, to show his love for the campers, and to keep his aunt’s memory alive. English language arts teacher Andrea Caspari spent the summer producing shows that showcased her life in a positive and comedic way at the Kansas City Improv in Zona Rosa. “I love being able to express myself and entertain people,” Caspari said. Photo courtesy of by LukeYoung

Making a difference Left: Senior Dara Fitzmaurice gives blood at the first drive of the year during school registration Aug. 8 in the lower gym. Student Council helped with checking people in. A few students said that they felt dizzy afterwards, one of the side-effects that donors are warned about before they give. “My doctor was really awesome at keeping me calm,” junior Ashlyn Bunch said. “It only hurt when she pulled out the needle, but besides that I didn’t really feel anything.” Photo by KatieBullock

Fundraiser frenzy Left: Fall is the time for clubs and sports to start raising money for their various projects and trips. An Auto Show on Oct. 14 is a free event to help promote the NKCS Automotive technology program. In addition, art club, business students, journalism students, sports teams and more are selling candy, having car washes and planning painting classes to fund their activities. “When we raise money for field trips, it allows the art teachers to take advanced students on more than one field trip a year, which means they get to attend a museum exhibit or college event plus and extra art activity in the city,” art teacher Kerri Cassity said. For a list of group fundraisers, see tonkanews.com.

Bringing out creativity Above right: Seniors Danielle Dodd and Skylar Seitz view artwork at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art on Aug. 3. AP Art History and AP Studio Art teacher Heather Sulzen believes it is important for students to learn about others’ artwork as well as learning how to make their own. “Art helps students find connections between other people and the world,” Sulzen said. “It helps give them a place in the world to feel good about themselves.” In order to help students learn, Sulzen has planned many field trips for her classes throughout the fall semester in addition to the one they have already taken. Photo courtesy of HeatherSulzen


NEWS | PAGE DESIGN BY JESSICA GLASZCZAK 05

Homecoming at home A runthrough of the formal assembly, parade and football game

Start

formal Assembly The formal assembly will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the Main Gym. The formal assembly will consist of introducing the Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees and the senior homecoming candidates. Afterward, students will get to vote for homecoming king and queen between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

By Jessica Glaszczak

F

or the first time in Winnetonka history, the homecoming football game and parade will be held on Tonka Territory after stadium lights were put up on the football field on July 2. 16. The homecoming assembly, game, parade and tailgate will be held on Sept. 29. The dance will be held on Sept. 30 at The queen candidates are seniors Lilly Abdulla, Harper Ross, Heaven Sand7:00 p.m. in the Auxillary gym. ers, Skylar Seitz, Kashe Turner and Kylee Zerbe.

parade

3.

The homecoming parade will start at 1 p.m. The parade route will go from the student parking lot of Winnetonka to two of feeder schools, Maple Park Middle School and Maple Wood Elementary School, before coming back to Winnetonka. View the route using the code below.

tailgate

4.

After the parade, the tailgate will occur at the south end of the student parking lot from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. During the tailgate, the candidate dance and candidate games will occur in place of a pep assembly. There will also be food, a performance by pride marching band and tailgate games.

1. Senior Michael Small accepts suckers as a gift for becoming a homecoming candidate on Sept. 13. Photo by KatieBullock 2. Senior Kylee Zerbe is crowned a member of the homecoming court on Sept. 13. Photo by KatieBullock 3. On Sept. 20, Junior Aris Holman paints a poster to go onto the Key Club float for the homecoming parade. Photo by JessicaGlaszczak 4. Junior Nicholas Bolton and senior Jonathan Yuth play tenor saxophone at a football game against Park Hill South on August 18. Photo by KatieBullock 5. Varsity football players prepare to play against Park Hill South on August 18. Photo by KatieBullock

1.

The king candidates are seniors Nate Blanton, Steven Findley, Whaleed Khaleel, Jackson Mattingly, Jason Salinas and Micheal Small. Learn more about each of the candidates at tonkanews.com using this code.

football game The Winnetonka varsity football team will play against Grandview at 7 p.m. Regular priced admission is $8 for adults, but any adult who brings a toy for Key Club’s toy drive for Children’s Mercy Hospital will receive the student admission price of $3. During half-time, the Alumni Hall of Fame members will be introduced and the home5. coming king and queen will be crowned.


06 PAGE DESIGN BY GAGE RABIDEAUX | ENTERTAINMENT

Griffin Grounds Glow-Up A complete review of the new menu at Griffin Grounds By Gage Rabideaux

Hot Coffee $1- While I’m not a huge fan of coffee, I approve of this coffee. It is not too strong and there is a great balance of flavors available. The Vengence is bitter for black coffee lovers, while the KC Blend is light and sweet and the Brazillian is the perfect in-between. The best part is that it arrives in a timely manner, giving you just what you need to hit the books in a great mood. The downside is that the coffee arrives scalding hot and remains undrinkable for a half hour. But overall, the coffee is a nice treat. I rate the coffee an 8/10.

Iced Coffee $2- A recent poll of 100 students deemed iced coffee the true victor; it is

most students’ favorite drink from Griffin Grounds. Junior Kirsti Greene is obsessed with the iced coffee. “I like iced coffee in general. And they’re flexible with how you want it,” Greene said. “The coffee shop people in general are very sweet.” You can get your coffee however you would like it, Griffin Grounds is always busy, but never too busy to add a little extra milk upon request. She rated it a 6.5 out of 10.

Iced Tea $1- I’ve never really liked tea of any kind, so rather than giving you my

biased opinion, I found someone who does like tea, junior Katie Marshall. “It tastes like a mixture of peach and green tea,” Marshall said. “It’s cold, so that’s a pro. It’s also very sweet, even if you didn’t have all this sugar.” She gave her drink a 7/10.

Hot Cocoa $1- I’ve always been a hot cocoa fanatic, which only makes the school’s

cocoa harder to resist. The cocoa and milk blend together in a medley of winter cheer and peppermint chocolate flavor. The peppermint flavor shot makes a splendid treat to amp you up for the holiday season as well. My only complaint is that it occasionally tastes a tad watered down. However, it will still be a delight on chilly fall mornings. I rate the hot cocoa a 9/10.

Frozen Frappacino $2- This drink is a personal favorite among Winnetonka stu-

dents, and upon trying it, it’s not hard to see why. It has the smooth creamy flavor without the bitterness of regular coffee, with a nice icy kick to jumpstart your morning. It is fantastic and I love it! I rate the iced coffee a 10/10.

Strawberry and Banana Smoothie $2- Getting a smoothie whenever she can, ju-

nior Annie Pedrino has fallen in love with Griffin Grounds’ new strawberry banana smoothie. “It’s so good, everyone wants it. That’s why you have to wait to get it,” Pedrino said. The smoothie is one of the new drinks on the menu, and students all over the school can not get enough. In fact, you have to wait until class starts to order one because the demand is so high. “It tastes more like strawberry, which is why I like it. They also put whipped cream on it, which makes it a lot better,” Pedrino said. She rated her drink a 10/10.

Getting the Grant

L

ast year, Winnetonka began a new project: a little coffee shop out of the library named Griffin Grounds. Today, the humble shop has grown extremely popular amongst students. Clocking in at over five gallons of milk used a day, and 30 to 40 orders delivered each morning, it’s no surprise that SPED teacher Larry Magariel claims business has tripled since last year. Last April, SPED teacher Dale Brown applied for and received a grant which enabled the school to add onto their menu. Over the summer, the space that used to house the thrift store outside the cafeteria was transformed into the new Griffin Grounds. While the menu and shop location have changed, the direction of the cash flow has stayed the same. Money from Griffin Grounds goes straight to field trips for the SPED students and Miss School Miss Out.

Student Perspectives A recent poll surveyed 100 Winnetonka students to find their favorite drink from Griffin Grounds. Iced Coffee (28) Smoothie (20) Hot Cocoa (19) Frozen Frapp. (17) Hot Coffee (8) Iced Tea (8)

Hot Apple Cider $1 - I’ve never tried apple cider of any kind before. But now that I

| Graphics by GageRabideaux

have, I’m glad I did. It’s like drinking cinnamon apple pie and it is beautiful. While the first few sips were rather sour, it got smoother as I continued to sip. I can really see this drink going hand in hand with Thanksgiving dinners and on chilly December nights. Hot apple cider is basically my life now. The only thing I didn’t like was the first sour taste, but it didn’t ruin the drink for me. I rate the cider a 7/10.

| Graphic by KatieBullock


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VARSITY SPORT SCHEDULE October 3: Soccer vs. Ruskin @ DAC at 6:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Raytown South @ Home at 7 p.m. October 4: Softball vs. MSHSAA Districts @ Liberty North High School DIG FOR THE CURE: Volleyball vs

Oak Park @ Home at 5:30 p.m. Soccer vs. Grandview @ Northgate Middle School at 6:30 p.m. October 6: Football vs. Platter County @ Platte County High School at 7 p.m. October 7: Cross country vs. MSHSAA Conference @ Kearny Middle School at 8:15 a.m. Volleyball vs. Various @ Truman High School at 8:15 a.m.

October 9: Soccer vs. Raytown South @ Northgate Middle School at 6:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Grandview @ Home at 7 p.m. October 10: Soccer vs. Belton @ DAC at 6:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Kearney @ Kearney High School at 7 p.m. October 11:

Swimming vs Kearney, St.Pius X @ Gladstone Community Center at 4 p.m. Senior night October 12: Swimming vs. Platte County @ Platte County High School at 5 p.m. Soccer vs. North Kansas City @ Northgate Middle School at 6:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Belton @ Home at 7 p.m.


08 PAGE DESIGN BY ELIZABETH HOPKINS | FEATURES

Self-Described

Meet the new faces leading Winnetonka By Elizabeth Hopkins

P PRINCIPAL ERIC JOHNSON Self-Described as

assionate about their jobs, new principal Eric Johnson and new assistant principals Shannon Lawson and Drew White jumped right into the new school year, ready to help in any way they can. Each coming from a different place, they unite together, along with assistant principals David Garrison and Dixie Wescott, to serve the students of Winnetonka. With their purpose being to help the students, the new principals describe themselves as champions and servants.

Photos by KatieBullock

Advocate, caring, dreamer, focus, love, passion, purpose, spirited, supportive, teamwork

A

s the time nears 7:23 a.m., one man hustles up and down the hallways of Winnetonka, demonstrating his passion for the school through the smile on his face and the energy in his heart. So far, new principal Eric Johnson sees Winnetonka as more than just another ordinary school. “I have had a chance to talk to teachers, students, go to games and experience this school for what it truly is and it is amazing,” Johnson said. “It’s no longer just a school, it’s a part of my heart and who I am.” Johnson was introduced as the new principal on Feb. 6. Prior to Winnetonka, he worked as an assistant principal at Hickman High School for four years and as the head principal for three. He said one of the most valuable things to him is service, whether it is directed to the students of Winnetonka or people outside the school.

“I would describe myself as a servant,” Johnson said. “Someone who cares about the world outside of my own little bubble. Somebody who wants to make a difference in world by impacting other people. Somebody who is passionate and an advocate for kids and social justice.” Johnson has a Bachelor’s in secondary education, a Master’s of education in curriculum and a Doctorate in organizational leadership. He hopes to give students a “sense of belief in themselves” and make it obvious that he cares for them. “I want to help kids feel supported and loved,” Johnson said. “In the grander scheme of things, I want them to be successful. I want people to say that I was student-centered., that I was authentic, that I tried to engage everybody in a positive way and that I cared about our school and our students.”

Johnson emphasizes how important relationships are to him, especially between the students and staff. “The foundation of everything we do is built on relationships,” Johnson said. “It’s being proactive, reactive and restorative. Proactive in a sense that we use relationships to get us our foundation with students.” Johnson appreciates the foundations that the staff has made with students. “Our educators are some of the best I’ve ever worked with, they are experts in their fields,” Johnson said. “They care about students deeply and they are passionate about learning and growing. I think we have so many great things happening in this school and I am just excited as we continue down our road together seeing what Tonka will be.”


FEATURES | PAGE DESIGN BY ELIZABETH HOPKINS 09

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eing a principal takes a lot of work according to new assistant principal Shannon Lawson, which is why it is a perfect fit for her. “I would define myself as busy,” Lawson said. “I don’t like to be bored, which is why this job is a really good job for me because I’m never bored. Also, I would describe myself as very loyal; when I find something that I want to do, I want to make sure that I follow it through.” Lawson, who previously was a teacher and life skills coordinator at Liberty Academy, said she applied to work at Winnetonka because she needed diversity and a challenge, which could be found in helping students. “One of the reasons I decided to get out of the classroom and become an administrator is because I like helping students,” Lawson said. “I like helping students more than I

liked teaching my content, so being an administr tor allows me to be more about helping students than about educating them about English.” Lawson’s purpose is to impact students in a positive way and help them have a better future. “I hope I can help [students] make better decisions,” Lawson said. “I hope I can help them set achievable goals and watch them crush those goals. I hope that I can give them a safe place to come and trust me with information that I can use to help them.” Regardless of what she is doing, Lawson knows she is assisting students, which is why she loves her job. “I didn’t want to work with a bunch of adults, I wanted to work with students,” Lawson said. “I’m passionate about my job, I love it.”

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White said. White was a PE and Health teacher and more recently an AVID coordinator at Staley High School. He understands the importance of a trusting relationship between staff and students. “There has to be a mutual trust between the student and myself,” White said. “I want the students to feel like they can come here at any time and talk regardless of what the situation is. We figure out the goals together, we figure out an action plan together, we figure out how we can get them to meet their goals together.” He is impressed with the all the students he has met so far this year and is hopeful that with his help, they can do great things. “There’s no other job that I know of that you have the ability to impact people on a daily basis,” White said. “I just do my best to impact as many students as possible in a positive way.”

otivated by seeing change in students’ lives, new assistant principal Drew White has one goal this year: to serve. To White, serving students means providing them with whatever they need to be successful. “I would define myself as somebody who takes a lot of pride in the work that I do and the students that I interact with,” White said. “It’s really empowering knowing that you can come to work any day and have an impact on a student’s life.” White was selected to fill the position of assistant principal after previous assistane principal Dwayne Smith was promoted to Director of the Pin Oaks Alternative Program. He believes the student culture determines how the community sees the school, so he hopes helping the students will eventually place Winnetonka in a positive light. “My number one goal is to help the students and the community create a school that we are proud of,”

assistant principal SHANNON LAWSON sELF-Described as Busy, educator, family, friend, gappy, learner, loyal, motivated, passionate, purpose, true

assistant principal Drew white sELF-Described as Faith, family, honor, proud, serve


10 PAGE DESIGN BY JESSICA GLASZCZAK | FEATURES

AThefamily more than blood lasting impacts of adoption and foster care throughout Tonka By Jessica Glaszczak

T

he foster care and adoption systems in America may not be perfect, but three Winnetonka families believe

it is worth the challenge.

A forever family

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hree years of paperwork, research and waiting never stopped the Marcantonio family from completing their forever family. Gifted resource specialist Carrie Marcantonio and AVID teacher Todd Marcantonio, husband and wife, have three biological children. They decided to adopt a fourth child in 2014. “We wanted four kids,” Carrie Marcantonio said. “It seems kind of silly to bring another child in the world when there are children already in the world that don’t have forever families, so that’s why we decided [on adoption].” “The application takes time and then we’ve had kind of a rocky journey,” Carrie Marcantonio said. “But it was July 2 of this summer that we got our match, our referral.”

Staff members Carrie Marcantonio, Todd Marcantonio and Jessie Shepherd all had a desire to provide a loving home and family for a child. Senior Sydney West is one of several Winnetonka students that found that love and acceptance from her adoptive parents.

That was the day they knew they were going to be adding a son from Africa to their family. Through the challenges of the adoption process, there were also people that helped with the challenges, according to Carrie Marcantonio. “We had to make a profile book about our family and they are really expensive. They’re almost a thousand dollars. We went to go pick it up and someone had paid for it,” Carrie Marcantonio said. “There have been a lot of struggles, but there have been some really interesting blessings along the way, just people who are phenomenal human beings.” Having the Marcantonios’ biological children along for the ride has impacted their family by teaching their children more about Africa and about

family according to Carrie Marcantonio. “I’m really proud of my children’s more of an international, social-justice type of understanding seeing how young they are,” Carrie Marcantonio said. “They love to talk about Africa. They love to look at maps and find his place. They are excited to have a brother who is not white. My seven-year-old is like, ‘If anyone makes fun of my brother because he’s not white, I’m going to be really mad.’ She’s already defending him. I think they’ll have a better understanding of what makes a family, that it’s not just blood.” 1. Teachers Carrie Marcantonio and Todd Marcantonio smile with their children Isabella, Alouisa and Jackson. Photo submitted by CarrieMarcantonio


FEATURES | PAGE DESIGN BY JESSICA GLASZCZAK enior Sydney West said her adoptive mother was her best friend. “I feel like she was the only person that got up my confidence,” West said. “She was the only one that would talk to me late at night. She brought my self-esteem up and helped me.” West initially lived with her biological mother. “I was living with my [biological] mom at the time and it was just a terrible environment,” West said. “My adoptive parents noticed how I wasn’t going to school and how they [her mother and her mother’s friends] acted around me and how they affected me.” Before being adopted during her freshman year, West spent two years in the foster care system where she said that although she had nice foster parents, moving from home to home was a challenge. “It sucks all the time and once you are out of it, you feel like a new person,” West said. “[Adoption] changed who I am. It changed how I see other people and how I look at life. It has changed how other people see me. I probably wouldn’t be in high school right now. I’d probably still be bouncing off homes.” On Father’s Day of this year, West’s adoptive parents both unexpectedly died. “I felt like there was nothing to live for anymore,” West said. “Sometimes I feel the same way, but other days I know that they wouldn’t want me to give up. I’m thinking about what they would want.” West now lives with her girlfriend and plans to graduate. West is thankful for what her adoptive parents did for her in her life. “I think what I’ll remember most about them is how much they helped me through my three years of highschool to my senior year,” West said. “I think it’s pretty cool for someone to already have four kids themselves and be able to take another kid in and be able to help them and put clothes on their back. It takes a lot for them to do that.”

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5,370 children were adopted in the United States. 131 children were adopted in Missouri. About 600,000 children are in the foster care system in the United States. The average age of a child in foster care is nine.

Fostering a good home

REmembering life changing parents

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aking nine weeks of classes, three hours a night, was one way that the Shepherd family prepared to foster children. “I kind of made the decision that there are lots of kids out there that need good parents,” history teacher Jessie Shepherd said. “And we don’t necessarily need to have our own [kids] to be good parents.” Jessie Shepherd and wife Beth Shepherd are currently fostering two children. “Our kids are awesome,” Shepherd said. “They’re so fun. They’re two-and-a-half year-olds, they’re twins, one boy and one girl.” One of the challenges of fostering is that the future can be uncertain, according to Shepherd. “I think one of the hardest things is not knowing how long they’re going to be with us,” Shepherd said. “We don’t know if it’s going to be two months around when their next court date is, or if it’s going to be years from now, or if it’s potentially going to turn into an adoption option for us.” Although uncertainty can be challenging, according to Shepherd, seeing the positive impacts of her decision makes fostering worth it. “They [kids] are learning new stuff everyday, and they make us laugh everyday,” Shepherd said. “I mean, it’s really hard being a parent, and I didn’t really realize that until I was a parent. It’s more challenging than what I thought it was, but they are just so fun that they make everything worth it.” Shepherd believes that fostering is a good thing for adults to look into. “There are lots of kids out there that need good homes,” Shepherd said. “Any adult that has the ability and time and patience to do that, I think should look into it because it’s not cost-prohibitive.”

Sources: childrensrights.org http://www.childrensrights.org/newsroom/fact-sheets/foster-care/ speakupnow.org https://www.speakupnow. org/foster-care-statistics-resources/ travel.state.gov https://travel.state.gov/ content/adoptionsabroad/en/about-us/statistics.html/


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PAGE DESIGN BY HOLLY HOPKINS | FEATURES

Stepping into the national spotlight American Performing Arts International recognizes theater department as one of the top 12 in the nation

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1. By Holly Hokins

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heater students are busy fundraising for their upcoming trip to Scotland, where they will perform at the International Fringe Festival on July 28 after the American Performing Arts International (APAI) ranked the program one of the top 12 in the nation. "On a personal level, this is like a dream come true,” theater director Sheri Coffman said. “This is my 20th year here, and I guess I never dreamed we could get there. This is such a huge accomplishment.” The APAI recognizes schools that have obtained five-star theatre department status. Winnetonka achieved this status by successfully performing five productions on an international stage. Senior Jackson Mattingly, who will star as the male lead Radames in the upcoming musical ‘Aida’, believes that the program is now going to have to find ways to live up to their reputation. “Being a five-star school is definitely going to be something that we want to maintain, that reputation,” Mattingly said. “We’ll have the stars forever, but we want to make sure that we’re wor-

1. Junior Julia Madison performs as “Aida”, the title character of the fall musical, during rehearsal on Sept. 20. Photo by HollyHopkins 2. Theater starts rehearsals for its fall musical “Aida.” The show is set to be performed for the first time on Nov. 16. Photo by HollyHopkins

thy of the five-stars so it’s going to mean a lot more dedication.” Theater is planning to uphold their reputation by having more shows and more activities to help advertise and raise money for future trips. “There’s a lot more going on this year with the department,” Mattingly said. “We’re doing some extra shows and stuff to help pay for it [the trip to Europe]. It just means that there’s just a lot more involvement to make this actually happen.” The cost, however, didn’t bother Coffman, who said that she is ecstatic about the unexpected recognition and the upcoming trip. “We’ve mounted four successful productions and one of the reasons we were selected was because of the qual1. ity of our productions,” Coffman said. “It makes me incredibly happy to think that at the Edinburgh [Scotland] festival there are thousands and thousands of shows and to think that the quality of our show held up, even on an international stage, was a really huge deal.” Coffman works with many of her students to help create a good environment to learn and perform. The students

in theater are wanting to show off their bonds and talents. “We have Dr. Coffman who is a fantastic teacher and her leadership is what actually lead us to get this nomination,” Mattingly said. “It’s something really cool for our school. For us to be known as one of the top theater schools is a big deal and it’s something that we really want to hype up because if we can get more kids in it [theater] then we can do more stuff and that’s really cool because that means we get to incorporate more people into our family.” Although Coffman is the theater’s director, she wants to let students be individuals by giving them constructive critiques and praise when needed. According to senior Kylee Zerbe, Coffman does not teach the class, she just pushes them along. “Our theater department here at Winnetonka is very student driven,” Zerbe said. “We like to send a message, we like to tell people a story. I don’t think that we do shows just because we have slots to do shows. I think we do shows because Dr. Coffman and her students really care about the world and about what’s going on in the world.”


FEATURES | PAGE DESIGN BY HOLLY HOPKINS The most recent story the theater department plans to tell is that of “Aida”, which is a story of loss, love and sacrifice. In the musical, which will premiere Nov. 16 in the Main Auditorium, the Nubian princess Aida and her people are captured by Egyptians. Aida then falls in love with her captor Radames, the captain of the Egyptian army. This year’s production is geared to especially entertain young adults and teens as it is influenced by different combinations of rock and pop music composed by Elton John and Tim Rice. “It’s interesting because in most musicals, like “Phantom of the Opera,” it’s very opera influenced. ‘Aida’ is a different genre of music, it’s the type of music that you

don’t expect to be in a musical,” Zerbe said. “This resembles more music from shows like ‘RENT,’ which is another rock musical, and those are very fun. I think they’re more interesting to younger audiences than what older musicals would be.” Being recognized as one of the top 12 programs in the nation is a big stepping stone for the school’s theater department, and seniors like Zerbe are proud of the experience and fun they have experienced because of the theatee. “It’s cool to know that I’m leaving this year and I know that the theater department is shaped and can become better because I was a part of it,” Zerbe said.

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Theater was distinguished as one of the top 12 high school theater programs in the nation by American Performing Arts International after performing quality shows on an international stage five seperate times.

Q: What do you bring to the theater that no one else does?

Junior Julia Madison - Aida Q: What is your message to underclassmen who wish to be in theater in the future?

YOUR PARENTS WOULD NOT LET YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? See them anyways (29%)

Junior Lana Moerer - Amneris

A: “I felt as though I was a part of a group that was more advanced, that’s what makes me feel like I belong and it’s cool that I’m a junior that has a lead role in this. Just try to take what you can get when you can.”

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF: Listen to your parents (17%)

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Reason with your parents (54%)

17%

A: “I don’t think that they should hold back at all. It’s scary to audition, but it’s like a home, you’re welcomed there. If you missed it this year, then try out for shorts If you know what you’re doing, then you’ll be confident.”

29% Senior Jackson Mattingly - Radames Q: Why do you think that you’re good for this role in Aida?

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A: “I know that I had really stiff competition and the other guys who auditioned for the role were really awesome competition. I love being able to contribute to the overall piece. I just do what I’m told to do with the role I was given.”


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PAGE DESIGN BY HANI YOUSIF | SPORTS

In the water, your only enemy is the clock 200 Free-relay obtains State Consideration Cut as boys’ swim team

2. 1. 1. Freshman Sullivan Dial swims at the swim meet against Blue Springs. Photo by AndreaSimmons 2. Swimmers dive in to the water at the start of the 100free. Photo by AndreaSimmons 3. Freshman Ray Guerrero swims the second leg of the 200free relay. On Sept. 5 Ray was a part of the relay that earned a state consideration cut. Photo by AndreaSimmons

By Hani Yousif

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he clock starts. Freshman Brennen Johnson dives into the water and takes off down the lane. Johnson flip turns and comes back with a lead time of 27.34. Freshman Ray Guerrero dives into the water right after and comes back around. The clock reads 55.3. Sophmore James Long goes in. Freshman Sullivan Dial waits for Long to come back down the lane. Long finishes with a time of 29.34 leaving Dial to finish out the relay. Dial jumps in as the anchor of the team. He touches the timing pad and finishes with 28.27. The clock stops. On Sept. 5, Dial, Johnson, Long and Guerrero swam the 200-free relay in 1 minutes 52.92 seconds at the Liberty North swim meet, earning them a state consideration cut. According to Long it was something they will never forget. “It’s really something that I never pictured myself doing,” Long said. “I never thought of myself as an athlete when I was swimming my freshman year. But now that I am a part of this team, it’s really cool to say that.” Although many know history teacher Ian Johnston as a teacher, the swimmers know him only as their

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coach. When his team made the state cut, Johnston said that he was thrilled. “It felt great [to make the cut]. I knew they could do it,” Johnston said. “They did a dual meet which is really nice because you usually swim faster at invites, but it was great.” Now that the boys are considered for state, they want to be a force to reckon with in the water. “They have work to do now because another team surpassed them. They take the top 32 teams and I think we’re ranked 33rd now,” Johnston said. “They’ve got to get faster if they want to go to state. They’ve got their consideration timed, they just need to get faster, so that at the end of the year, they can be considered for that time.” In the past, the team struggled to recruit students. Swim was not recognized as a big sport. Now, the swimmers feel that they finally have their shot at being known around the school. “It feels good because I know this is the first time in a long time that this school has had something like that,” Guerrero said. Johnston, who coaches all four district high school boys’ swim teams, is very happy with how the Winnetonka swim program is expanding and growing.


SPORTS | PAGE DESIGN BY HANI YOUSIF Freshman Sullivan Dial

Freshman Brennan Johnson

Q: What do you do to prepare for a meet?

A: “First place!”

go to morning practice.”

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29.34 seconds

These four Tonka swimmers made state consideration on Sept. 5 at Liberty North.

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Sophomore James Long Q: What do you do to make yourself a better swimmer? A: “I’m trying to give my all at practice and not get out of the water as much.”

Q: What does succes in the pool look like to you?

28.27 seconds

A: “Stretch, dryland and

“Coaching all four teams is nice because it creates a kind of comradery between the schools and the district which you don’t see very often in other sports,” Johnston said. “Coaching Tonka is great because ever since I’ve been in the building, we’ve almost quadrupled the team. Having this many guys is great and being able to compete at a higher level is nice too, especially when you get a relay that works together as a team and we can qualify. That’s fantastic.” Having a team of strong freshman and sophomores is exciting according to Johnston, who said that he looks forward to seeing their improvement in the water over the next few years. “Having a young team, one that you can mold and shape is nice as a coach,” Johnston said. Just continuing to work hard during practice and get better at relay exchanges.” Johnston is working to help the team improve by giving them a variety of different workouts. “We change up our workouts a lot. Some days we do anaerobic workouts which are short-rest, high-sprint. Sometimes we do aerobic workouts where we do long swimming,” Johnston

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27.96 seconds

said. “We have race days where we get up and do our lactate workouts, so I kind of run my program like a college program where we’re doing all sorts of different things every day.” Johnston said the team benefits from working-out with the other three district schools. “Part of the thing for the swim team is it’s called S.N.O.W,” Long said. “Which is Staley, Northtown, Oak Park and Winnetonka and it’s really cool knowing who you are up against, especially since Winnetonka hasn’t had anyone to compete with. It’s really cool.” Although they compete against each other, according to Johnston, the chemistry between the schools is strong and supportive. “The boys all get along well with kids from other schools,” Johnston said. “They cheer each other on even though they’re competing against each other. When it comes to scores and things like that, the atmosphere is that they’re really cheering each other on, so it’s pretty cool.” Although he treats all four teams equally, Johnston said it’s personally rewarding to have the relay team that made the consideration cut come from

27.34 seconds Freshman Ray Guerrero Q: What do you do to prepare for a meet? A: “Stretch and warmup, and after that just keep warm.” Winnetonka. “I always call them ‘my guys’. It’s a lot more special when the building that you’re in succeeds because usually it’s been the other schools that have been succeeding the most in swim, especially Staley and Oak Park,” Johnston said. “It’s good to see Northtown and especially Tonka rise to the occasion.” Although having state swimmers is good, Johnston said that the most rewarding part of coaching is seeing athletes learn and doing something different. “I love to [coach]. Just take for example a kid from Northtown that a month and a half ago couldn’t swim,” Johnston said. “If I would’ve thrown him into the dive-well, he would have probably drowned. And this past Saturday, he swam his first 50 freestyle off the blocks without touching the bottom or the ropes at all. And that for me is why I coach. I mean, it’s great going to state and, I mean, I’ve coached a state champion in the 100 breaststroke in a state champion relay. That’s great and all, but when you have a kid that learns to do something that he’ll carry on for life, that’s what you do it for.”


Soccer players find their place on the football

From sidelines to start-

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Kicks below 31 degrees are suceptible to being blocked by the opposing team, but kicks above 41 degrees are more likely to falter due to wind resistance.

SPORTS | PAGE DESIGN BY KATIE BULLOCK 16 By Katie Bullock

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ntil this year, senior Hayden Weatherman always sat on the sidelines during football games, cheering on the team with the rest of the student body. Now, Weatherman is a starting varsity kicker for the football team. At Jamboree on Aug. 11, starting varsity kicker senior Justin Hansen suffered a Grade 6 sprain to his shoulder. It was a season-ending injury. With no one to take Hansen’s place, special teams coach Jared Buckman sent out a Tweet inviting soccer players to a tryout on a Sunday night. “As far as soccer goes, all you do is kick,” Buckman said. “Without having to coach them a lot, they already have the position and technique. They [soccer players] were the first people that we thought of.” Now, Weatherman - along with junior Cesar Ortiz and senior Lauchlan Ferris - can all be found on the football field after they finish soccer practice. “With a soccer ball you want to kick it right in the middle to get a nice line drive and you want to lean over the ball so that it doesn’t go over the uprights,” Weatherman said. “With a football you want to kick under the ball so that the ball goes up over the uprights. You have to lean back more. It’s a whole different style.” Buckman is helping the kickers learn a new style of kicking, which he said is easier than he thought it would be because of his personal background in soccer. “One of the good things is that a lot of us [coaches] grew up playing soccer. I played through eighth grade,” Buckman said. “We can use that knowledge of how to kick to help train them from soccer to football.” Kicking technique is not the only difference between soccer and football though. According to Ortiz, there is more pressure

to perform during football games because of the extra attention that the kickers receive. “The first time [I kicked] I think it was at the Smithville game. I was definitely really stressed out,” Ortiz said. “They want it far and deep, down the field. I think I did pretty good, but I could feel my heart pounding; just seeing all of those people looking at you, getting ready to kick the ball and if you mess up, all that weight’s on you.” Weatherman also feels stress during games, which he attributes to the memorableness of kickers’ plays. “You get in once a game and the pressure’s completely on you,” Weatherman said. “Everyone remembers the missed field goal. No one remembers the dropped pass or the missed block or the holding call or the pass interference or the cornerback that gave up the touchdown, but everybody remembers the missed field goal.” Although Ortiz has only played in a handful of games, he says that he has slowly been getting more used to the pressure. “It has gotten better now that I’ve been kicking a lot more in front of people. I’ve kind of gotten used to it; just focusing on the ball and kicking it,” Ortiz said. Choosing the soccer players as starting kickers wasn’t a hard decision for Buckman, who says that he will play his strongest players no matter where they come from. “We’re going to play the best kickers we have, so if that’s a football player then great, but if it’s a soccer player then that’s great too,” Buckman said. Although the soccer players have only been practicing football since mid-August, their progress has earned them the respect of the coaches. “It’s been a learning curve but they’re doing an awesome job,” Buckman said. “I mean, they’re not scared of getting in there and having 11 guys rushing at them with pads on. They’re great people. They’re so willing to learn. They’re not just saying ‘Oh, I already know how to kick a ball. I’m good.’ They’re not shy about asking questions and that’s amazing.”” Finding a place on the football team has its challenges, but according to Ortiz, those challenges are worth the experience of representing Winnetonka on the field. “I love it,” Ortiz said. “Doing two sports at once, it can be a little stressful, but I find it more rewarding. It keeps me occupied more. It’s a lot of fun, but at the end of the day you have to take it very seriously because football is a sport and we want to win and represent Tonka the way we should.”


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